Welcome to the Customer Service Carnivale! We have a good mix of customer service-related posts for you this week. Thank you to those of you who contributed to this short and sweet edition...

Here's another rant from the Banquet Manager: Stale Friggin' Danish Again, WTF! posted at So You Want To Be a Banquet Manager.... It really, really, really is time for a new job ;)

I've always believed that knowledge is power. People who work in customer service should read more books about customer service. But then again, make sure you're not reading too much as customer service consultant Bill Hogg points out.

Great customer service tips offered in this next post: When it comes to customer service, goals are not enough. Or, How the water cooler leads to happy customers.

Want to know a great example of how a business is using Twitter to attract customers and give them a better experience? Alan Underkofler presents Twitter For Business Case Study: Naked Pizza.

Nissim Ziv presents Examples of Competency Based Interview Questions, List of Competencies/Skills saying, "Competency based questions focus on past behavior of a potential employee in different job-related situations in order to predict his future performance. This article provides examples of wide ranging competency based interview questions including customer service competencies." What do you think?

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Would you like to host an upcoming carnivale? Contact Maria: maria [at] people2peopleservice.com

How do you deliver excellent customer service during a recession?

In this video Sarah Cook of The Stairway Consultancy offers tips on what you can do improve customer satisfaction...

I like how she emphasizes getting the basics right and doing them consistently. You don't need high-tech gizmos or flashy websites to keep customers. Sticking to the basics will get you further than fancy technology.

The Bottom Line: Stay connected with your customers and listen to their needs. Also, make a plan to improve your service...and take action now!

In a guest post over at Customer's Rock, Sean McDonald of Ant's Eye View asks,

"Who owns the customer?” Is it Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Product Development, PR, Investor Relations, Finance?"

It's so easy to pass the buck over to customer service whenever an issue comes up.

However, Sean is right when he says:

"...it is everyone’s responsibility to engage with customers. Not every group is an order taker or customer service helpdesk. But customers have questions, ideas that span entire life cycle."

Part of taking ownership of the customer is ensuring that all team members work together so that every customer is taken care of. I know how frusterating it is as a customer service person to ask someone in another department for help, only to be ignored or put on the back burner.

During my time at Nordstrom, I can remember a few instances when salespeople didn't want to help a customer because "that customer is so-and-so's customer...They should deal with it..." Sometimes the customer wasn't a pleasant person to talk to and I ended up having to take time away from the sales floor to work out a solution, even though I initially didn't help the customer. I had the attitude that every customer is my customer - which isn't usually the case in a commission-based sales position.

In your current organization, would you say that everyone takes ownership of the customer? If not - what can you do to change that?

Photo Credit: Gopal Vijayaraghavan

This edition of the Customer Service Carnivale is filled with plenty of excellent customer service tips. However, it's one thing to learn and know how to treat customers, but it's one thing to take action on what you've learned! Keep this in mind as you read all the great articles...

Have you ever asked the question, "Whatever happened to Customer Service?" Rachel Paul of The Viewspaper shares her thoughts - thoughts that I completely agree with.

I love these 10 Commandments of Customer Service GP offers in Commanding Customer Service.

As an online business owner, I can appreciate Alan Smith's post, Putting the Service back in Customer Service Part 1 of 4. He says, "Online business need to be in the practice of quality customer service. There are four simple things that you can do to improve your online service that will boost your business."

Peter Cantelo shares 10 Keys to a Fabulous Relationship with YOUR Customers: posted at vivavi.co.uk. I like the four magic words mentioned ;)

Deborah Brown asks How Do You Put Customers First?. Deborah is also seeking customer service stories to compile into an e-book. Make sure to read her post for details.

Wally Bock offers good tips for managers in How to wander effectively. Remember that good customer service starts with taking care of your internal customers.

If you're in search for a position in customer service, you may want to check out Customer Service Interview - Questions and Answers.

Here's a good lesson in communication from Lauren Bloom: Stay on good terms with potential plaintiffs.

And a customer service carnivale just isn't a carnivale without a rant from the Banquet Manager! Want to know what an overworked and under-appreciated Banquet Manager sounds like? Check this out: I'm NOT Gonna Open Your Damm Bottle Of Wine!

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: customer service carnivale, blog carnival, customer service.

Not too long ago I shared with you how BCBG wowed me by sending a Thank You card. As a writer who happens to love making greeting cards, I think it's important to keep the art of letter writing alive.

If you're trying to get in the habit of sending Thank You cards to customers, I recommend checking out Glenn Ross' ten tips for writing and mailing effective thank you cards.

It's so easy to send emails or text messages, but there's something about having something tangible to hold. Call me old-fashioned, if you will.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with sending Thank You cards to customers. Do you have any tips to share? It's been awhile since I've sent out cards, so I'm grateful for the reminder.